"Will! Where's Angus!?" Margarete called through the house. William, who had just gotten home from work, was standing in the bathroom washing his hands.

"I don't know. Shouldn't you take care of him?"

"I can't do anything! George needs help with homework! The budget must be thrown! I have to cook! I have to clean!" The adults argued. Malcolm stood on the stairs and watched his parents argue. He realized that it was somehow about Angus. His four month old brother. His father screamed a little louder and he winced. He was afraid of him. Quick! He thought. He ran into his room and got two pillows and a blanket. He also put a few coins in his pants pocket. Then he quickly went to his brother's room, where Baby Angus was lying in his crib, playing with the hangers that hung over his bed. He sucked on his pacifier and looked at his big brother with big eyes.

"Hey Ang." The 2 year old whispered and ran his thumb over Angus' cheek. "We're going to make a trip. What do you think about? Just the two of us?" Angus cooed. Malcolm smiled and carefully lifted his little brother out of the baby bed. Malcolm held him as he had seen his parents do. Angus snuggled against his brother's chest. Malcolm giggled and walked into the garage with the blankets and Angus through the back door. There he carefully laid his little brother on the floor and stacked the pillows in a handcart. He put Angus in it and covered him with the blanket. Angus smiled at him. Malcolm stroked the few curls that were on Angus' head. He took the wagon and drove out of the garage.

They crossed the street and Malcolm already knew exactly where he was going. However, the distance was very long. Halfway through, Malcolm's legs hurt, but he knew he had to keep going. Angus gurgled behind him. Malcolm turned around and saw that his brother didn't like something.

"What's the matter Ang?" The little one looked at him with watery eyes. "Hey, no. Don't cry." Malcolm said, stopping to stroke his brother. "What's wrong?" Ang's stomach gurgled. "I see. You're hungry." Malcolm grinned and stroked Ang's stomach. "Okay, let's get something to eat then." Malcolm turned down a side street and came to a small shop. He left the wagon in front of the shop and picked up his brother. Then he went in and made his way to the milk counter, where he bought a bottle of warm milk and then got another cheese roll.

"What are you doing here, Malcolm?" Asked the shopkeeper. Malcolm hid Angus behind him so she wouldn't see him.

"I make a trip."

"Have fun then." Malcolm nodded, smiled and went back to his handcart, where he put Angus back in and put the bottle of milk and the bag with the bread next to him. Angus picked up the bottle and held it to him as it was warm.

"Are you cold, Ang?" Malcolm asked with a giggle and took off his jacket, which he wrapped around his brother. Angus gurgled and clapped his hands. "Better? Well then it fits. Let's go a little longer and then you get some food." Malcolm took the handle of the drawbar in his hand and pulled the cart on. After half an hour, he stopped at a bench and sat down exhausted. Then he sat his little brother on his lap and unscrewed the glass bottle. He put the bottle carefully to his brother's lips.

"I don't have a real bottle for you Ang." Malcolm said regretfully and tried to spill as little as possible. Angus wanted to suckle, only that didn't work with the bottle. Malcolm took a sip too, and when Angus saw it on him, he did it. He put his little fingers around his brother's hands and wanted to hold the bottle by himself, but Malcolm wouldn't let him because it was too heavy. When Angus took small sips, he stopped drinking. Malcolm screwed the bottle back on and put it back in the car. Then he unpacked the roll and ate it. Angus wanted it too, as he held out his hands for it. Malcolm grinned and formed balls from the soft interior that he gave Angus. The little one was more likely to suck on it.

"Are we going on, Ang? We don't have far anymore." Malcolm said and looked into his brother's green-brown eyes. The little one smiled and branched a tooth. Malcolm laughed and put his brother back in the car. They kept walking until they got to another city. They'd walked the highway. Malcolm slowly couldn't go on but kept walking. Angus was sleeping. Malcolm walked a few more minutes before arriving at a blue house. He grinned and ran faster. He pulled the car through the garden gate and crossed the garden to the front door. There he rang the bell and then waited. After a few moments an old woman opened the door.

"Malcolm?" She asked.

"Hello Grandma!" He called and jumped into her arms.

"What are you doing here?"

"Mom and Dad had an argument about Angus and I was afraid they would hurt him, so I ran away with him."

"You have Angus with you?" She asked with wide eyes. He nodded, ran back to the wagon and pulled it to his grandmother. She saw between the blanket and Malcolm's jacket, curls. She lifted the baby out of the car and placed it in her arms. Malcolm stood next to her and looked up at her. "You did well, Mal." She said and stroked his hair. "Come with me." She held out a hand to him, which he took and the two went into the house with the rest of the milk. Malcolm heard the television on.

"Who do we have there?" Asked an older man.

"Grandpa!" Malcolm screamed enthusiastically and ran into his grandfather's arms. His grandpa, James, held him up and turned in circles with him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he slumped onto the sofa and Malcolm was sitting on his lap.

"Ma and Dad argued about Angus. I was so afraid for him. So I took him here." Veronika, the Grandma and James looked at each other with a grin.

"Where is he?" Asked James. Veronika showed the baby in her arms.

"Have you already fed him?" Asked Veronika. Malcolm nodded and showed the bottle in his hand.

"He drank so much." He said and put his finger on half of the bottle.

"My big boy." James grinned and hugged Malcolm again.

"How about if we call your parents?" Asked Veronika.

"No! Otherwise they'll hurt Ang!" Malcolm exclaimed in panic.

"No, they won't. Don't worry." James said, stroking his hair. Angus woke up and looked across the room with wide eyes.

"Hello Angus." Granny grinned. He started smiling and showing his tooth. He opened his mouth and formed a word that the others couldn't understand until he squealed:

"Malom!" They looked at him in amazement.

"Say that again, Angus." Said James.

"Malom!" Angus shouted, clapping his hands happily. Malcolm stared at him.

"He said his first word." Veronika grinned.

"Malom!" Angus called again, gesturing towards Malcolm. Veronica put him carefully in Malcolm's arms. Angus looked at him with green eyes and snuggled by Malcolm's side. Malcolm gave a surprised laugh. James went to the phone to call his daughter:

"Young." It came through the phone, annoyed.

"Do you miss something, Marga?" He asked without greeting her.

"Yeah, I can't find my spoon." She sighed.

"I mean a person. Do you know where Malcolm is?"

"Yes, upstairs in his room. Malcolm!" There was a long silence before she asked: "George, can you get Malcolm?" You heard footsteps and then George said: "He's not here, Ma." She stared at him in shock.

"Dad! Where is he!?" She called into the phone.

"Malcolm came here with Angus. He brought his little brother here in the wagon and said that he was afraid for him and that was why he brought him here."

"Oh no! What did he come up with?"

"He said that you had an argument and that he left because of it."

"We have each other - oh no. What does he do?"

"Malcolm? He's curled up around Angus on the sofa."

"My little Mal." She almost cried.

"Are you coming for them or should we bring them over?"

"Can you bring them?"

"No problem."

"You can stay here overnight."

"Okay. And you know what?"

"No."

"Angus said his first word." Margarete's jaw fell.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What was it?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"Malom." She laughed.

"My little baby."

"I'll bring them over. See you soon." Then he hung up.

*

They were sitting on the Young's sofa and Angus was sitting in his mother's lap, who was crying.

"Never do that again, Malcolm." She warned her middle son, who was sitting next to his older brother. Malcolm bowed his head.

"He was just protecting him." Said James. Angus looked at his mother with wide eyes and then screamed so loudly that everyone's ears ached:

"Malom!!!!!!!" They winced. Angus looked at his mother with wide eyes and when she showed no reaction he called again: "Malom!!!!!!"

"Yes darling. He's here." She giggled and held Angus so that he could see his brother. Malcolm smiled at him.

"I think it's bed time." Said William. They put George, then Malcolm, and then Angus to bed. Angus mumbled half asleep:

"Malom." William and Margarete smiled at their son. Malcolm came into the room and rubbed his eyes.

"What are you doing here, honey? You should sleep." William asked and crouched down.

"Can I stay with Ang?" Malcolm asked sleepily.

"I do not think so. You have your own room, Mal." William said carefully. When Angus hears his brother's voice, he crawled to the other side of his little bed and tried to pull himself up over the bars, but he fell on his butt. He stuck his little hand through the bars and tried to reach for Malcolm.

"Malom." He whispered. Malcolm walked over to him and took Ang's hand in his.

"You have to sleep Ang. I'll be back tomorrow." Angus shook his head as if he had understood. "Yes, Ang."

"Malom." Angus muttered sadly.

"We can play again tomorrow, Ang." The parents smiled at that. Angus tried to come to him.

"Ang, we can play in the garden tomorrow. Mh? What do you think about it? With the blocks?" Angus shook his head. "Not even with the blue ones?" Malcolm knew that Angus loved the blue ones best. Angus shook his head again. "We can play with the cars." Angus cocked his head. "Is that a deal? Sleep and play with cars tomorrow?" Angus shook his head again. Malcolm sighed with a smile.

"Come to bed Malcolm." William said and took Malcolm by the hand. Malcolm waved to his little brother, who watched him go wide-eyed. When Malcolm had disappeared around the corner, Angus began to cry.

"Angus, stop it." Margarete said and tried to calm him down, but it got even louder. After a long time she couldn't take it anymore and picked him up. She ran into Malcolm's room with him and when Angus saw his brother the crying stopped and he smiled again. She put the baby next to Malcolm in the bed, on the wall so it couldn't fall out, and then stood next to William.

"Thank you Ma." Malcolm smiled and rolled onto his side. Angus crawled up to him and hugged Malcolm's chest. Malcolm covered him and put an arm around him.

"Malom." Angus breathed and closed his eyes. His pinky fingers clenched in Malcolm's shirt. After a short time they fell asleep.

From that day on, the two were inseparable.

THE END;